* Editor's note: This is another in a series of stories covering contested seats leading up to the Sept. 20 primary and first special election. On Sunday, The Maui News will have stories on the 8th House District Democratic contest between Rep. Joe Souki and Tasha Kama, as well as a roundup on four Hawaii island candidates for the Board of Education.
For more details on candidates and their comments on key issues, go online to www.mauinews.com and click on state or county candidates under "Election 2008."
Upcountry Rep. Kyle Yamashita wants to return to the Legislature to reduce onerous regulations on small businesses, while challenger Summer Starr thinks she can bring a more progressive voice on sustainability issues.
With two terms under his belt, Yamashita, 49, snagged the chairmanship of the House Economic Development and Business Concerns Committee during the 2007-08 term. While he supports current House leadership, Yamashita doesn't accept the notion that he's part of the "old guard."
"I feel like I'm in between," he said. "I'm still new, and yet now I have experience."
The 25-year-old Starr has worked at the Legislature and for the renewable energy industry. Her political involvement includes being arrested while protesting President Bush at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City.
She calls Yamashita "sufficient," but said she could be more responsive to the community.
"I think he could listen more," Starr said. "I would listen."
The two Democrats vying for the 12th House District seat will compete in the primary election on Sept. 20.
The winner will face Republican Mickey Vierra in the Nov. 4 general election.
For voters, the race could come down to experience versus change.
"Ultimately what we want to continue to do is make sure Maui gets its fair share of the budget, and because of my position and experience I think that's what makes me a better candidate for Upcountry," Yamashita said.
Starr, who worked in public access at the Legislative Reference Bureau during the 2004 session, thinks that experience prepared her for the job, and said she was encouraged by lawmakers she met there.
"They said I had a good grip on the process, and they needed fresh blood in there," she said.
She is also the founder of Progress Hawaii, a renewable energy advocacy group, and has worked as a legislative liaison for the Hawaii PV Coalition, which represents the photovoltaic industry.
She is on extended leave from a master's degree program in political science at the University of Hawaii.
Starr said renewable energy is a key area of her platform for sustainability, and proposes that the state offer tax incentives to attract energy projects to Hawaii.
She also said renewable energy developers should help pay for upgrades to Maui Electric Co.'s grid, and that the Legislature should use its power to help make that happen.
On an individual level, she wants the state to offer homeowners the same tax credits for photovoltaic systems that it does for solar water heaters.
Also on the sustainability theme, Starr said she wants to see more flexibility in health regulations to allow homeowners to reuse their own "gray water," and would "use (her) position of influence" to work with the Department of Health.
On energy, Yamashita points to his work as a committee chairman this year helping pass a bill requiring most homes built after 2010 to have solar water heaters.
"Usually, I don't like mandates, but this one kind of made sense," he said.
As chairman of the economic development committee, Yamashita said supporting small business will continue to be a priority.
Under his tenure, the committee passed a "small business bill of rights," and increased the authority of a board that reviews state departments looking for "obsolete, cumbersome" regulations.
"I'd like to keep pushing," he said.
This year, beach wedding operators raised concerns about the Department of Land and Natural Resources' plan to start enforcing a stricter permitting and fee system for commercial use of beaches.
Yamashita said he's not familiar with the issue, but feels public access should be prioritized at beaches.
Agriculture is a top issue for both candidates.
Yamashita's proposals include funding a position for a grant writer in the state Department of Agriculture.
There are currently federal grants for farmers available that the state is not taking advantage of, he said.
"In these tough economic times, we've got to look at these things," he said.
The state also needs to fund infrastructure projects that support agriculture, Yamashita said.
This year it provided an initial allocation toward a 300 million gallon reservoir for the Upcountry water system that will help farms survive drought, he said.
Starr said the state needs to go beyond designating "prime" ag lands for protection and provide "advice and resources" to farmers or people who want to farm but don't know how. That could include training in how to go organic, improve soils with composting, or diversify their crops, she said.
"I have a pet peeve with just giving people land and letting them do it themselves," Starr said.
On an individual level, Starr wants to see more programs designed to get more residents to grow their own vegetables at home.
She calls for the state to fund a public information campaign promoting "victory gardens;" as well as neighborhood "cooperative" locations that could provide residential gardeners with a "start-up kit" of seeds and soil, and a place for neighbors to swap farming equipment.
"I honestly believe if we could get that seed started, people would take it to the next level," she said.
In other issues, Yamashita said the economy will be the "big one" this year.
The "easiest" response by the state is to heavily fund capital improvement projects to keep workers employed, he said.
"We did that - there's a lot of Maui projects coming up," he said.
Long term, the state needs to ease regulations on businesses, he said.
Political observer and Democrat Richard Michaels said he'll be watching the Upcountry race this year. He said Starr seems "very nice," but Yamashita will be riding on two terms and is generally well liked, Michaels said.
"I don't know if she's strong enough to beat an incumbent," he said.
Starr got the attention of local Democrats when she shared her experience of being arrested while protesting at the Republican National Convention. She was part of a Hawaii student group protesting the Iraq invasion, and said she personally went to protest Bush's policies.
Starr, who has since joined a class-action lawsuit against the City of New York related to protester arrests, said the experience made her more "motivated" than ever. After appeals, the police charges against the protesters were dismissed.
"It was exactly why I was protesting," she said.
"It was a violation of my civil rights. It was merely a confirmation of the corruption of the Bush administration."
Yamashita may be best known to Upcountry voters for his enthusiastic daily sign-waving along Hana Highway. He said his signature style - a vigorous wave-and-point with direct eye contact - has been a good "icebreaker" as he goes door to door meeting constituents.
"My goal has always been to get the silent majority to speak with me," he said.
"I feel if they're familiar with me, comfortable with me, then they'll talk to me."
* Ilima Loomis can be reached at iloomis@mauinews.com.
